Favorite surface treatment sgraffito with underglaze
Favorite tools an X-Acto knife
Studio playlist Podcasts! Some favorites are Seek Treatment, Celebrity Memoir Book Club, Doughboys, Las Culturistas, and The Michelle Collins Show.
Wishlist More windows and a television!
Studio
My studio is an 800-square-foot space in a giant warehouse building in Chicago that houses many other artists working in all kinds of media—woodworkers, designers, painters, weavers, and other ceramic artists. The building, now called Snowball Lofts, was originally the Meyercord Decal Factory, the first US producer of ceramic decals. Learning this history gave me an extra sense of kinship with the space. I moved into the building six years ago with my best friend, Joe Kraft. We shared a big space on the first floor. In June 2024, a space opened up upstairs and I was ready to have my own private studio, so I moved in and got to work creating my dream space.
My studio must function as not just a ceramic space, but a place to design and store inventory for my product-based business. I’m an illustrator and I design and sell apparel and accessories with nature imagery, pop culture references, and ceramics inside jokes. I have space to draw and brainstorm, fulfill online orders, work on administrative tasks, and make and fire ceramic work.
This workflow has dictated the layout, which is divided into three parts. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a cheerful table where I keep pens and markers: a dedicated space to draw. Having a place that’s always clean and ready for a quick sketchbook session means that I’m more likely to draw, a daily goal. The table is a great place to have a meal or chat with visitors. This front area has a clever packing table for online orders. I built the table to fit storage totes to keep inventory. I have many shelves in this part of the studio for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and bandanas. It’s important that my products are as far away from the dusty ceramics space as possible.
In the middle of the studio is my risograph machine, a special Japanese printer combining Xerox and screenprinting technologies. It’s integral to my packaging and print designs. I also have an office area with sentimental items, sketchbooks, and art books for inspiration. While I have a desk for admin tasks, you’ll often find me working on my laptop on my yellow sofa under my electric blanket, staying cozy with my dogs. At the center of this area is a large, mobile table with more storage.
In the back of the space, closest to the windows, is my designated ceramics area. I have two giant tables—one 12-foot (3.7-m) table attached to the wall and another large table with wheels and storage underneath for glazes. My kiln sits in the corner, and I store my dry materials on industrial shelves. Without a sink in my space, I use buckets of water, replenished from a hallway sink. I use pegboards and wall shelves above my work area to keep things off the tables. I use slabs a lot, so having free space to roll them out on giant tables is great. I love my windows; it’s fun to watch the three separate train lines go by—the L, the commuter rail, and freight trains.
Paying Dues (and Bills)
I earned a BFA in craft/material studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a focus on ceramics. After graduation, I was a resident at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana, where I learned about functional pottery, online store management, and studio maintenance. A subsequent residency at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago taught me how to teach and balance a job with a ceramics practice. Six years ago, I transitioned to working full time as an artist after supplementing my income with restaurant jobs.
Currently, I spend about eight hours Monday through Saturday in my studio, and work on computer tasks at home before or after my studio day. I design new products, work on marketing, pack orders, and tackle other operations tasks most days, but I try to carve out time to work in clay. I make one-of-a-kind illustrative pottery, but lately, I have been experimenting with small figurative sculptures. I usually try to spend the bulk of my Mondays and Wednesdays on ceramic work, and other business tasks eat up the rest of the days.
My business revenue is a mix of wholesale (22%) and direct sales (78%). In 2018 I designed my first t-shirt, a ceramics-themed product that is still one of my best sellers, and have since designed many more things. I was struggling to form a business around only handmade pottery and this opened up new avenues for me and took some pressure off. I sell most of my work through my web shop, but a good chunk of direct sales come from in-person events. Fairs, markets, and pop-ups expand my reach and give me a chance to feel part of a community, a welcome break from my mostly solo job.
Marketing
Marketing is such a daunting job! I use Instagram, YouTube, and a newsletter to connect with my audience. I have found that sharing earnestly and being myself has helped me enjoy these tools. My newsletter allows me to be more personal and share essay-style catch ups. I collect emails at in-person events (I’ve found that leaving out a clipboard with an invite to sign up works much better than a QR code) as well as reminding my Instagram audience periodically about the benefits to subscribing—early access to new drops, private discount codes, and more personal missives.
Last year, I hired a social-media manager. I felt stale with marketing and wanted to understand paid advertisements, and a friend of a friend recommended Chloe Croom. She helps me with brainstorming content, demystifies Meta ads, and keeps me on track with social scheduling. Collaborating with an expert has made marketing easier and brought back the fun of it!
Mind
Drawing is an integral part of my practice and my life. I always have a sketchbook with me and use drawing as a way to brainstorm, journal, and illustrate ideas I’m working through. I love to draw what’s around me or leaf through a heavy art book and pull inspiration for my sketchbook spreads. These drawings make their way onto my pottery. Lately, I’ve been bringing them into the three-dimensional space. After spending two days at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last fall, I left with a drive to explore figurative sculpture. I’m currently working on a set of lamps based on this inspiring trip.
When I’m not working, I like to spend time with friends, read, workout, and watch movies. I love finding ways to be creative that have nothing to do with my job. For the past two years, I’ve been making quilts. Working with fabric is so different than working with clay, but material focus and a functional end result tie the two mediums together.
My current studio is my favorite place in the world. I’ve worked hard to make it a peaceful, creative, and functional space where I’m happy to spend time. I love my job and I feel very lucky that ceramics is an important part of it. Clay is my favorite medium. Ceramics has provided me a community, a canvas to tell my stories, and a constant challenge that never leaves me bored.
Most Important Lesson
My friend and fellow potter Ryan McKerley once said to me, “Pots are people.” The line has stuck with me for life. Human connection is so important and making and collecting ceramics gives us a chance to connect on a human level.
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Just the Facts
Clay
earthenware
Primary forming method
slab building
Primary firing temperature
cone 04
Favorite surface treatment
sgraffito with underglaze
Favorite tools
an X-Acto knife
Studio playlist
Podcasts! Some favorites are Seek Treatment, Celebrity Memoir Book Club, Doughboys, Las Culturistas, and The Michelle Collins Show.
Wishlist
More windows and a television!
Studio
My studio is an 800-square-foot space in a giant warehouse building in Chicago that houses many other artists working in all kinds of media—woodworkers, designers, painters, weavers, and other ceramic artists. The building, now called Snowball Lofts, was originally the Meyercord Decal Factory, the first US producer of ceramic decals. Learning this history gave me an extra sense of kinship with the space. I moved into the building six years ago with my best friend, Joe Kraft. We shared a big space on the first floor. In June 2024, a space opened up upstairs and I was ready to have my own private studio, so I moved in and got to work creating my dream space.
My studio must function as not just a ceramic space, but a place to design and store inventory for my product-based business. I’m an illustrator and I design and sell apparel and accessories with nature imagery, pop culture references, and ceramics inside jokes. I have space to draw and brainstorm, fulfill online orders, work on administrative tasks, and make and fire ceramic work.
This workflow has dictated the layout, which is divided into three parts. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a cheerful table where I keep pens and markers: a dedicated space to draw. Having a place that’s always clean and ready for a quick sketchbook session means that I’m more likely to draw, a daily goal. The table is a great place to have a meal or chat with visitors. This front area has a clever packing table for online orders. I built the table to fit storage totes to keep inventory. I have many shelves in this part of the studio for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and bandanas. It’s important that my products are as far away from the dusty ceramics space as possible.
In the middle of the studio is my risograph machine, a special Japanese printer combining Xerox and screenprinting technologies. It’s integral to my packaging and print designs. I also have an office area with sentimental items, sketchbooks, and art books for inspiration. While I have a desk for admin tasks, you’ll often find me working on my laptop on my yellow sofa under my electric blanket, staying cozy with my dogs. At the center of this area is a large, mobile table with more storage.
In the back of the space, closest to the windows, is my designated ceramics area. I have two giant tables—one 12-foot (3.7-m) table attached to the wall and another large table with wheels and storage underneath for glazes. My kiln sits in the corner, and I store my dry materials on industrial shelves. Without a sink in my space, I use buckets of water, replenished from a hallway sink. I use pegboards and wall shelves above my work area to keep things off the tables. I use slabs a lot, so having free space to roll them out on giant tables is great. I love my windows; it’s fun to watch the three separate train lines go by—the L, the commuter rail, and freight trains.
Paying Dues (and Bills)
I earned a BFA in craft/material studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a focus on ceramics. After graduation, I was a resident at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana, where I learned about functional pottery, online store management, and studio maintenance. A subsequent residency at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago taught me how to teach and balance a job with a ceramics practice. Six years ago, I transitioned to working full time as an artist after supplementing my income with restaurant jobs.
Currently, I spend about eight hours Monday through Saturday in my studio, and work on computer tasks at home before or after my studio day. I design new products, work on marketing, pack orders, and tackle other operations tasks most days, but I try to carve out time to work in clay. I make one-of-a-kind illustrative pottery, but lately, I have been experimenting with small figurative sculptures. I usually try to spend the bulk of my Mondays and Wednesdays on ceramic work, and other business tasks eat up the rest of the days.
My business revenue is a mix of wholesale (22%) and direct sales (78%). In 2018 I designed my first t-shirt, a ceramics-themed product that is still one of my best sellers, and have since designed many more things. I was struggling to form a business around only handmade pottery and this opened up new avenues for me and took some pressure off. I sell most of my work through my web shop, but a good chunk of direct sales come from in-person events. Fairs, markets, and pop-ups expand my reach and give me a chance to feel part of a community, a welcome break from my mostly solo job.
Marketing
Marketing is such a daunting job! I use Instagram, YouTube, and a newsletter to connect with my audience. I have found that sharing earnestly and being myself has helped me enjoy these tools. My newsletter allows me to be more personal and share essay-style catch ups. I collect emails at in-person events (I’ve found that leaving out a clipboard with an invite to sign up works much better than a QR code) as well as reminding my Instagram audience periodically about the benefits to subscribing—early access to new drops, private discount codes, and more personal missives.
Last year, I hired a social-media manager. I felt stale with marketing and wanted to understand paid advertisements, and a friend of a friend recommended Chloe Croom. She helps me with brainstorming content, demystifies Meta ads, and keeps me on track with social scheduling. Collaborating with an expert has made marketing easier and brought back the fun of it!
Mind
Drawing is an integral part of my practice and my life. I always have a sketchbook with me and use drawing as a way to brainstorm, journal, and illustrate ideas I’m working through. I love to draw what’s around me or leaf through a heavy art book and pull inspiration for my sketchbook spreads. These drawings make their way onto my pottery. Lately, I’ve been bringing them into the three-dimensional space. After spending two days at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last fall, I left with a drive to explore figurative sculpture. I’m currently working on a set of lamps based on this inspiring trip.
When I’m not working, I like to spend time with friends, read, workout, and watch movies. I love finding ways to be creative that have nothing to do with my job. For the past two years, I’ve been making quilts. Working with fabric is so different than working with clay, but material focus and a functional end result tie the two mediums together.
My current studio is my favorite place in the world. I’ve worked hard to make it a peaceful, creative, and functional space where I’m happy to spend time. I love my job and I feel very lucky that ceramics is an important part of it. Clay is my favorite medium. Ceramics has provided me a community, a canvas to tell my stories, and a constant challenge that never leaves me bored.
Most Important Lesson
My friend and fellow potter Ryan McKerley once said to me, “Pots are people.” The line has stuck with me for life. Human connection is so important and making and collecting ceramics gives us a chance to connect on a human level.
www.mollyannebishop.com
Instagram: @mollyannebishop
www.youtube.com/@mollyannebishop
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